IEMN and IRCICA promote their bioinspired image sensor technology to an AI industrialist

This valorization concerns a neuromorphic technology allowing the implementation of an energy frugal AI, in view of the joint development of bio-inspired optical sensors with YUMAIN, with the support of SATT Nord.

IEMN [1] and IRCICA [2] promote their research work on embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the framework of a close collaboration with the company YumAIn [3], specialized since 2011 in embedded AI-based artificial vision systems. This collaboration is part of the co-maturation of a neuromorphic technology with ultra low energy consumption developed in the 2 laboratories and already the subject of a portfolio of patents [4] matured and valorized by SATT-Nord and licensed to YumAIn. The researchers involved from IEMN/IRCICA, Christophe Loyez and François Danneville, have laid the first milestones for the proof of concept of this technology on the scale of image sensors obtained thanks to the funding of the maturation projects by SATT-North.
These bioinspired image sensors, using patent technology [4] will be integrated into the embedded electronics developed by YumAIn. This collaboration between researchers from IEMN/IRCICA and YumAIn, with the support of SATT Nord, will allow an evolution of the technology by integrating joint knowledge and skills and aims to obtain a prototype with at least one TRL6 of industrial maturity, promising a short time-to-market.

In the future

These new-generation sensors will integrate onboard Artificial Intelligence with consumption levels a thousand times lower than those of the current generation. As a key disruptive technology to meet the energy challenges of sustainable development, the priority applications are home automation, mobile robotics and transportation. They may also find their place in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor human activity in the context of smart cities or wildlife to preserve biodiversity. Moreover, thanks to the attention paid by this technology to reducing energy consumption, it provides an eco-responsible response to a global need for expansion of the IoT and Industry 4.0.

[1] Institut d’Électronique, de microélectronique et de nanotechnologie (CNRS/Université de Lille/Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France/Centrale Lille Institut)
[2] Institut de recherche sur les composants logiciels et matériels pour l’information et la communication avancée (CNRS/Université de Lille)
[3] YumAIn (https://yumain.fr/ créée en 2011), basée à Dijon.
[4] Brevets :
• « Synapse artificielle commutée » (WO2019219618), en copropriété CNRS et Université de Lille/Yncréa Hauts de France/École Centrale de Lille/Université Polytechnique Hauts de France, publié le 21/11/2019.
• « Capteur optique » (WO201981562), en copropriété CNRS/Université Lille/Yncréa Hauts de France/École Centrale de Lille/Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut Cambresis, publié le 02/05/2019.
• « Neurone artificiel » (WO2017178352), en copropriété CNRS/Université de Lille 1, publié le 19/10/2017.

Christophe Loyez, DR CNRS, christophe.loyez@univ-lille.fr
François Danneville, PR Université Lille, francois.danneville@univ-lille.fr
Michel Paindavoine, Directeur Technique / CTO YUMAIN, michel.paindavoine@yumain.fr
François-Xavier Denimal, Business développeur SATT Nord, francois-xavier.denimal@sattnord.fr